Organic Compounds in White River Water Used for Public Supply near Indianapolis, Indiana, 2002–05

By Tim Lathrop and Dan Moran

Introduction

The National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) characterized the occurrence of 277 organic compounds in source water (stream water collected before treatment) and finished water (treated water before distribution) from the White River North treatment plant, one of several community water systems that use the White River as its primary water supply (fig. 1). Samples were collected at least monthly during 2002–05 and included 30 source- and 13 finished-water samples. The samples were analyzed for pesticides and selected pesticide degradates (or “breakdown products), solvents, gasoline hydrocarbons, disinfection by-products, personal-care and domestic-use products, and other organic compounds.

Community water systems are required to monitor for compounds regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Most of the compounds tested in this study are not regulated under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) federal drinking-water standards (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2007a). The White River study is part of the ongoing Source Water-Quality Assessment (SWQA) investigation of community water systems that withdraw from rivers across the United States. More detailed information and references on the sampling-design methodology, specific compounds monitored, and the national study are described by Carter and others (2007).